Laundry machines



April 19, 1966 B. A. Buss LAUNDRY MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 30, 1965 INVENTOR. finvJA/ww fi ly/1v EMU BY fwcfifl wg ATTORNEYS April 19, 1966 B. A. BUSS LAUNDRY MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 30, 1963 Fig.6

CYCLE TIMER HOT COLD

DRAIN CLOSE REV- TIMER INVENTOR. fizM/a/w/v 194 w 514$ ATTORNE Y5 Patented Ap 1966 3,246,491 LAUNDRY MACHINES Benjamin Alvin Buss, East Moline, Ill., assignor to Ametek, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware 7 Filed Aug. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 305,681 '1 Claim. (Cl. 6812) The present invention relates to laundry machines and particularly to an improved control for laundry machines that will prevent overloading of the drive motor means during the extracting operation of the machine.

It is usual practice in laundry machines, having a 'basket that is rotated at a relatively slow washing speed and a relatively fast extracting speed, to dump the free liquid before changing from the slow to the fast speed. However, should more than a predetermined amount of free liquid remainin the basket when the speed is changed from slow to fast speed, the driving motor means for the extracting operation may be overloaded and damaged.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a control for a laundry'maehine that will prevent overloading ofthe extract or high speed motor means when it becomes effective. 1

Another' object of the invention is to provide such a control that will permit the basket to coast until the liquid therein has sufllciently drained before effecting the change from a relatively slow to a relatively fast speed.

In one aspect of the invention, a laundry machine may comprise a housing within which a perforated basket may "be mounted on a shaft for rotation about a horizontal axis, which shaft is mounted in frame means such as A-frames or the like. The shaft may be belted through pulley means to a motor means adapted to rotate the basket at a slow washing speed of, for example, about 50 r.p.m. and at a relatively fast extracting speed of, for example, about 400 r.p.m.

In another aspect of the invention, the bottom of the housing may be provided with a sump from which a pipe may lead to drain. The drain pipe may include a flexible section wit-h which a squeeze valve may cooperate for opening and closing said drain pipe.

In another aspect of the invention, a line may extend from the drain pipe, at a point ahead of the squeeze valve, to a fluid operated switch means within the high speed portion of the circuit for the motor means and in series with the relay that controls the high speed rotation of the motor means. The construction is such that the pressure head of the liquid within the housing during washing and draining maintains the fluid operated switch open until the liquid has substantially completely drained from the machine, or is at a low enough level so as not to overload the high speed motor means when the latter is rendered effective to rotate the basket at extracting speed.

The above, other objects and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings which are merely exemplary.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a laundry machine to which the principles of the invention have been applied;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are schematic views of the apparatus of FIG. 1 under different conditions of operation; and

FIG. 6 is a simplified portion of a wiring diagram for the machine of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, the principles of the invention are shown as applied to a laundry machine including a housing 10 supported by frame means 11. Housing 10 is shown as cylindrical in form and it contains a cylindrical perforated article receiving basket 12 fixed to a shaft 13 that extends out through the rear of housing 10 and is mounted for rotation in bearings supported by the frame means 11.

The frame means 11 may also support in electric motor 14 having a pulley 15 on its output shaft. 'Pulley 15 is connected by belt means 17 to a pulley 16 fixed to shaft 13. The motor means 14 may be a two-speed motor capable of driving basket 12 at a relatively slow washing speed of about 50 r.p.m., and at a relatively fast extracting speed of about 400 r.p.m. It also may take other forms and more than one motor can be used.

The control circuitry for motor 14 may include a cycle timer 14- (FIG. 6) that sequentially effects operation of various components tocause the basket 12 to rotate at a relatively slow speed during a washing operation, and at a relatively rapid rate during the extraction operation. The switch blades with-a half arrowhead in the drawing designate a switch operated bythe cycle timer.

Housing 10 may include a sump 13 at its lowermost point, and a pipe 19 may extend from the bottom of sump 18 to a drain. A resilient tube 20 may be connected to the drain pipe 19, and a squeeze type valve 21 may 00.- operate with the tube 20 to effect opening and closing of the drain pipe 19. The valve 21 mayinclude a solenoid 22, the armature of which may be connected to a member 23 passing transversely across the bottom of tube 20. Energizing solenoid 22 raises member 23 against an anvil 24 on the top of tube 20, thereby collapsing tube 20 and stopping the drainage of liquid from housing 10.

A flexible line 25 may be connected to the interior of the drain pipe 19 through a reducing fitting 26, a nipple 27 and an elbow 28. The end of line 25 opposite that connected to drain pipe 19 may be connected to a fluid operated switch 29. Switch 29 may include a bellows or diaphragm means 30 for operating a switch 31 which is in series with a relay 45 of the circuit for motor 14 that effects its rapid rotation or extracting speed.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a lip 32 may be provided on the leading edge of the sump 18 at its juncture with housing 10. It has been found that lip 32 tends to maintain the pressure head in line 25 during the latter part of the draining of the free water in housing 10 while the basket 12 is rotating at a speed above Wash speed and thus maintains the switch 31 open until substantially complete drainage of the free Water within housing 10 is achieved.

Referring to FIG. 6, closing the switch 33, with switch 34 closed, will energize cycle timer 14. With switches 35 and 36 in the position shown in FIG. 6, hot water solenoid 37 is energized, causing filling of housing 10 to a low level whereupon pressure switch 38 opens, stopping the admission of water to housing 10. Also switch 31 opens, preferably before switch 38. Simultaneously, reversing timer 39 is energized and the motor 14 rotates in a forward direction for a predetermined time interval since switch 40 is closed, after which switch 40 opens and switch 41 closes, reversing the rotation of motor 14.

After a predetermined wash period, cycle timer 14' moves switch 35 to its dotted line position in engagement with contact 35A. This dc-energizes solenoid 22, causing opening of valve 21, thus starting drainage of the free liquid within housing 10. When the free liquid in housing 10 has substantially drained from housing 10, pressure switch 31 closes, energizing relay 45. Energization of relay 45 opens normally closed contacts 45A, whereupon the motor 14 rotates the basket 12 at extracting speed and insures that relays F and R cannot inadvertently be energized. Switch HI2 also is closed upon energizing relay 45, thus energizing relay 46 which closes switch 46A to prevent relay 45 from de-energizipg and consequently 3 contacts 45A from, closingduring the extract cycle when pressure switch 31 opens. Accordingly, deenergizing of relay 45 is dependent upon switch 35 moving to its solid line position by the action of the cycle timer 14.

As the basket speeds up, water will still be in the clothes or load and it will be thrown or slung out into the housing. As a result, the water level will again rise and contact the clothes in the basket. This will cause excessive load to be placed upon the motor. As the water level or pressure head rises, pressure switch 31 will open so as to remove energization of the high speed windings. As a result, the motor will be permitted to coast until the water again lowers to an extent that will permit switch 31 to reclose. This may occur more than-once so that the motor may have more than one coasting period.

In a further form, steam can be injected into the center of the drum by means of suitable pipe (not shown) coaxial with the shaft, the steam being turned on while the drum or basket is being rotated at extracting speed. It has been found that as a result, the moisture retention can be reduced below 50% yet be uniform and not entirely removed so that the clothes can be ironed. In a still further embodiment, a fan (not shown) can be used to pass air over the clothes after the steam has been shut ofi. In a still further arrangement, after the final spin-or extraction, the motor can be placed in slow reversing action so as to shake out or tumble the clothes.

Although the various features of the improved laundry machine have been shown and described in detail to fully disclose several embodiments of the invention, it will be evident that changes may be made in such details and certain features may be used without others without departing from the principles of the invention.

- What is claimed is:

In a laundry machine, the combination comprising a housing adapted to hold a quantity of liquid; an article receiving basket within said housing for rotation therein; a two speed electric motor having a high speed winding and a low speed winding; a sump at the bottom of said housing; a drain pipe connected to said sump; lip means on the leading edge of said sump for increasing the pressure head of the liquid as itpasses to said drain pipe; a solenoid operated drain valve in said drain pipe; solenoid valve means for admitting liquid to said housing; cycle timer means, said timer means being arranged to sequentially operate said solenoid valve means for admitting liquid to fill said housing to a predetermined level, to energize said low speed winding for causing said motor to rotate said basket at a slow washing speed, to actuate said solenoid operated drain valve to drain said housing, to de-energize said low speed winding after substantially all of the free liquid has been drained, and to energize said high speed winding; and a pressure operated switch responsive to pressure head in said drain pipe for de-energizing said high speed winding during the time a predetermined pressure is present in said drain pipe, so that said motor will coast when said pressure head is above a predetemined value.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,954,689 10/1960 Heft et al. 68-24 2,986,915 6/1961 Nau 68-12 3,027,908 4/1962 Cochran 68-208 X 3,111,017 11/1963 Searle 68-12 3,129,574 4/1964 Wolverton 68-24 FOREIGN PATENTS 311,165 1/1956 Switzerland.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Examiner. 

